Pressure relief valve



Patented oci. 18,1938 Y 2,133,575

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE Philip S. Rosenberg, Lockport, N. Y., assgnor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Applieatin May 2, 193s, serial No. 71,439

' 4 claims. (ci. g77- 45) This invention relates to circulating liquid coolon the opposite side, there being associated with ing systems for internal combustion engines and the outlet header 3 an expansion tank 4 which more particularly to an automatically controlled extends over and across the top of the core i. vent for a system to be operated under internal At its lower end the outlet header 3 is provided pressure. with a suitable fitting for connection through the 5 4o mospherlc pressure condition.

45 fragment of the radiator as viewed from the rear;

It is an object of the present invention to prohose 5 with the suction side of an engine driven vide in a closed system an improved valve strucpump 6 on the front face of the jacketed engine ture which is characterized by simplicity, cheapblock l. Power from the engine is transmitted ness, reliability and carefree attention. through the belt 8 to drive the pump and also 10 As is well understood, a closed system aids the radiator fan 9 and the cooling water after 10 slightly to cooling efficiency and its use is curbeing circulated through the cylinder block and rently in favor. Such systems incorporate relief absorbing heat leaves the engine through the valves for excess pressures and the problem has hose connection I0 and enters the inlet header been to obtain a..vent valve which is free of com- 2 for passage across the core where its heat is l5 plications and gives satisfactory performance absorbed by a stream of air drawn through the l5 overa long period. With these things in mind radiator by the engine driven fan 9. there is contemplated a design having a minimum Any suitable means may be provided for lling number of parts all easily manufactured and asthe system with cooling liquid, but for the sake of sembled at low cost. More particularly the novel simplicity the drawing shows a standpipe or filler structure in its preferred embodiment consists spout Il associated with the inlet tank iitting 20 of a spring pressed valve associated with the and closed by a detachable cap l2. As will be usual overflow vent of the radiator assembly and evident from the drawing the top of the iiller made up of a sealing disc'of resilient rubber and spout Il terminates at the top of .the radiator a backing plate therefor, the rim/of the rubber core and below the level of the expansion tank disc being arranged for sealing engagement with and its height determines the maximum level to 25 an annular seat in the overiiow pipe and the cenwhich the system may be fllled. When the liquid tra] portion being apertured and adapted for surheats up 1113011- engine *Operation its whim@ QX- faoe engagement with the backing plate to seal pands and the excess water enters the expansion the aperture under internal pressure and for detank l for subsequent return to the circulating ection from the plate to provide communication system when the liquid body contracts, thereby 30 between the aperture and an opening in the back insuring system operation at full capacity at all ing plate under external pressure. Thus the rubtimes. If the system is completely closed to atber disc forms an eiective seal against internal mosphere the expansion of the liquid compresses pressure as long as the valve is seated. the spring the air within the top tank 4 and the higher presbeing calibrated or selected to allow the valve sure raises the boiling point of the liquid and in- 35 to-open for the relief of pressure in' excessl of a creases its ability to transfer heat from the enpredetermined value and the disc itself, by reagine to the radiator. However. if the pressure is son of its eiasticity, yielding under inuence of allowed to build up beyond a few pounds there external pressure to avoid an internal sub-atwould be the likelihood of the relatively fragile I core bursting or of leakage through the hose 40 For a better explanation of the invention refconnections and pump packings, and it; is neces..

Hence iS made t0 the aCCOlIlDanying drawing sary,rtherefore, that a check be placed on the wherein Figure l is a side elevation of an engine extent to which the pressure may go. For this and cooling radiator assembly; Figure 2 shows a purpose a pressure actuated valve can be associated with the usual overflow leading from the Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Flgtop of the expansion tank #i for the automatic ure E; Figure 4 shows the valve elements in perregulation of pressures. spective; Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views iliAmm-ding t0 the present invention, the overlusraing different Positions assumed by the ow vent tube comprises two sections I3 and il 5o valve elements, and Figure 7 iS a Sectional view with a suitable valve therebetween, the section Il 50 showing a modification. leading downwardly at one side 'of the radiator Referring t0 the drawing the numeral l indiassembly for convenient discharge at the bottom cates a heat exchanger unit 0r radiator Core 0f thereof. The-valve casing in this instance is the cross ow type having an inlet tank 0r headformed of a pair of stampings l5 and I6 nested er ii on one side and au outlet header or tank 3 one within the other and having projecting from g5 opposite ends tubular extensions i1 and I8 for sleeved connection with the adjacent ends of the pipe sections I3 and I4. Optionally the stamped cup I5 may be formed as an integral part of one wall of the expansion tank 4 by depressing a portion of the wall to cup shape as seen in Figure 7 to receive the stamping I6. Formed in the base of the cup i5 is an inwardly projecting rib I9 that provides an annular raised seat for a spring pressed valve.

The valve includes a disc 20 of rubber or other elastic deformable material secured within downturned tongues or flanges 2| of a relatively stiff backing plate 22 which may consist of a sheet metal stamping. A coil spring 23 of suitable preselected strength seats at one end against the base of the cup I6 and'at the other end against the backing plate 22 to hold the rim of the rubber disc 20 in sealing contact with the annular seat I9 in opposition to internal pressures below the value of the spring resistance. When the internal pressure exceeds the resistance of the spring the valve is lifted from its seat as shown in Figure 6 for the relief of pressure until a balance is established.

When the liquid within the system contracts as a result of subsequent loss of heat, it is desirable that the internal pressure shall not fall below the external or atmospheric pressure. Advantage is here taken of the inherent elasticity of the rubber disc for establishing communication between opposite sides of the valve when the external pressure predominates. To this end, the center of the disc may be apertured as at 24 and the backing plate may be provided with one or more openings 25 arranged beyond or out of line with.the central aperture 24 in the resilient disc. These openings are sealed from one another. by the tight surface engagement of the disc 20 and plate 22, particularly when the valve is seated and the system is operating under internal pressure, inasmuch as the internal pressure tends to press the surfaces into closer engagement. As an additional safeguard in this connection the rubber disc 24 may be formed of initially fiat material and the central portion of the plate 22 can be p'ressed inwardly to slight conical shape whereby upon assembly the rubber disc will be deformed slightly and be under a small initial tension.

Deflection of the rubber disc 24 will occur as seen in Figure 5 when internal pressure is below atmosphere, to provide communication between the openings 25 and 24 for the free flow of air from one side of the valve to the Iother until balanced relation is again established. Thus the cooling system -will never be caused to operate under a condition of sub-atmospheric pressure but on the contrary pressure operation is insured from almost the very beginning when the cooling liquid is at an initial low temperature. This will be particularly advantageous when the cooling system is being operated on an antifreeze solution which normally has a relatively low boiling point since the operation under prssure reduces the likelihood of vaporization.

I claim:

1. In a pressure valve organization for an engine cooling system. a system vent including a centrally apertured cup-shaped depression in one wall of a system tank providing an annular skirt and an inturned ilange, a raised rib in said ilange about the central aperture for seating ayalve, a cap iltted and sleeved to said skirt for cooperation with the depression in affording a valve chamber, a valve floating Within the chamber and comprising an initially fiat elastic disc and a still backing plate having a central conical portion stressing the disc to insure tight face to face contact between the disc and plate, a coil spring seated at opposite ends on the cap and the backing plate to seat the disc on the raised rib in said flange, said disc and plate having spaced openings adapted for communication upon deflection of the disc away from the plate, the opening in the disc being in alined relation with the apex of the conical portion of the plate.

2. In a pressure valve organization for an engine cooling system, a valve chamber comprising a pair of stamped metal cups nested together with reduced pipe connecting extensions at opposite ends thereof, an annular raised rib in the base of one of said cups, a valve spring housed within the chamber and seated at one end against the base of the other cup, a stiff conical plate seating the otherv end of said spring, an initially at rubber disc carried by and stressed to conform with the plate to insure a close ilt of the disc and plate and arranged to seat on said raised rib and cooperating ports in the plate and disc in out of line relation with the apex of the conical plate projecting into the port in the disc.

3. In a pressure valve organization for an engine cooling system having an overflow passage, a valve assembly adapted to be incorporated in said passage and including a pair of stamped cups having skirt portions telescopically sleeved together to provide a valve chamber, each cup having a centrally apertured base portion for providing communication between the chamber and the interior and exterior of the system, respectively, a raised annular valve seat about the aperture in the base of one of the cups, a distenslble valve disc bearing near its periphery on said raised seat and having a central opening therethrough, a stiif backing plate of substantially' conical shape having its apex projecting into the central opening of the disc and stressing the disc to conform thereto, said plate having an opening therethrough offset from said apex, and a coil spring bearing at one end on the backing plate in line with the raised valve seat and at its opposite end on the base of the other cup.

4. A double acting valve mechanism including a casing having a valve seat, an initially fiat resilient member having a central opening and being adapted to seat near its periphery on said seat, a stiiI backing plate having a central conical portion to engage and deform said member to substantially frusta-conical shape, with'the apex of the conical portion projected into the central opening of said member for a stress ilt to the circular edge thereof, said plate having an opening spaced from the apex thereof for communication with the central opening in said member upon additional member deformation. and a spring bearing on the plate and yielding to movement of the member away from said valve seat. PHILIP S. ROSENBERG. 

